***WARNING!!!***

THERE IS MENTION OF SELF HARM IN THIS CHAPTER.

Shizuo had just finished with Tom and Verona when he smelled it. The nose-hair burning stench of the flea... He looked around and saw the informant giddily exiting a building across the intersection. The lit cigarette in his mouth fell to the ground and he stomped it out. Awesome! It'll only be a matter of time until he notices us, unless he already has! Oh! He's coming this way, say, Shizuo... Do you think YonaKushu has awoken yet? It's been years, and I still don't feel him. Hey! Are you even listening to me?!? You are seriously not going to hurl vending machines at my lover again are you? Hey! Listen to me! Leave him alone! One of these days, you're seriously going to hurt him, and then you'll regret it!

There it was, that annoying Godling in the back of his mind again, at least that is what the being explained himself as... another soul, that of the God of Calamity, Akikou. Shizuo repressed and ignored it, since the only thing he wanted was to be with that disgusting flea. Apparently, the god-complexed infamous Izaya Orihara was the reincarnation of Akikou's lover, another God, named YonaKushu, who was the god of Emotions, Peace and Knowledge... Ironic, because all Izaya ever did was cause mass chaos wherever he went. How on earth Shizuo was supposed to love Izaya fucking Orihara was beyond him, he hated the flea, but Akikou explained that the 'hatred' he held for Izaya was residual energy from all the reincarnations when Akikou himself hated YonaKushu... Akikou said that two cycles ago, they actually began to get along, they were friends, even, then the most recent cycle, they were actually married and loved each other, and had a kid and everything, but it's weird how Akikou explains it. He says he was reincarnated as a female, which is not supposed to happen... but somehow it did... Akikou says he's a God from another world, that the story of 'true creation' is very different than the ones humans here have come up with...

The first time that Shizuo felt the presence of the Godling soul attached to his was the very first time Shinra introduced him to Izaya back in his Raira days. Of course, he immediately hated the flea, then that same flea had to go and make things worse by causing all the mischief he did, and getting Shizuo hit by a truck, framed for several crimes, and everything he's done since then. Akikou fully awakened during the short time Shizuo had been in the hospital after being hit by the truck back then. And oh how Shizuo and Akikou did not get along. Akikou was always excited to see the flea, and trying to get Shizuo to stop trying to kill him. But if Shizuo stopped trying to kill Izaya, then surely Izaya would succeed in killing him.

During the past year, Izaya hadn't even stepped foot in Ikebukuro, since the last fight where Verona stabbed him in the back. Shizuo had hoped he'd either died, or given up his games and decided to finally stay the hell out of Ikebukuro, but it seemed not, 'cause here he was again. Akikou's rage at Verona was palpable to Shizuo, but Akikou was also very unhappy with Shizuo for breaking Izaya's arms, and he tried to seize control so many times during the fight. Now every time Verona was around, Akikou was nearly silent, but the pure rage he felt towards her was slowly starting to affect Shizuo too. Shizuo was afraid that if Akikou's rage could affect him, then eventually, his love for Izaya or YonaKushu would as well.

After cat and mouse games between Izaya and Shizuo, when Shizuo would get home, he'd be at a loss with his emotions, they were a solid mix of his own and those of the Godling's, and it would take Shizuo hours just to untangle himself from Akikou; who was always trying to retangle them so he could show Shizuo his feelings for YonaKushu... Akikou wasn't as strong as Shizuo, so he always lost in the end, but Shizuo could feel, each and every day, the Godling's strength building, getting stronger and stronger as time kept coming.

Izaya must've just noticed Shizuo because that smirk that Akikou loved, and Shizuo hated crossed Izaya's face, and he ran over, practically dancing on his tiptoes. Shizuo began to wonder if he should just turn and ignore the flea, but Akikou got the best of him for a second too long and Izaya reached him.

"Why hello, Shizu-chan! Fancy meeting you here! What, no stop signs or vending machines for me today? Did you really miss me that much?" Izaya teased, making Akikou try to yell out, Yes, I missed you! You had me worried for an entire year! Shizuo growled. As Izaya danced around him, he walked towards the nearest heavy object he could see. Izaya skirted back as Shizuo pulled up a guard rail from its post.

"Why don't you just die!" Shizuo yelled, swinging it at Izaya. He didn't let go of it, but swung it back and just about caught that damned flea's shoulder as he dodged. Izaya's eyes widened a tad. He's slower than I remember. Akikou thought. Good! Then I can catch the bastard! Shizuo thought back, fighting to keep Akikou's concern out of his mind. He had noticed it too. Izaya was much slower than before, almost unsteady on his feet. And he was quite a bit thinner as well. That'll make it easier for me to get him and break him. Shizuo grinned as he realised this. No! Don't hurt him. If he's slower and weaker, he may die. And it could also be that YonaKushu is awakening. Yona isn't as much of a fighter in terms of brute strength, like me. His reincarnations are usually strategists, they're intelligent and he is a lot more suited for Magickal combat than physical. That's why his bodies are usually thinner and less muscular. I have explained this to you many times. If he's losing weight and speed, that could be what's happening! Akikou explained for at least the hundredth time, though Shizuo knew this all already, it didn't really matter to him. Akikou seized control for a few seconds while Izaya spouted off to Shizuo.

"Now, Shizu-chan, I thought you'd be overjoyed to see me, since it's been more than a year since that blonde bimbo stabbed me in the back and ruined our fun. We should finish that dance right here and now, just you and me, no one else." Izaya danced around more, nimbly dodging the guard rail until Shizuo lost his temper both at the raven and the Godling yelling at him in the back of his head.

He wanted, no, he needed to kill this flea here and now. He didn't care what the Godling wanted, it was obvious that YonaKushu had not and would not awaken, or he would have stopped Izaya from making so much chaos everywhere, and besides that, Shizuo could not care less if he killed the reincarnation of the other Godling. He wanted to do it here and now.

Shizuo threw the guard rail aside and heaved a vending machine towards the raven, missing by meters. Izaya was not fooling around today, but neither was Shizuo. He yanked a light pole out of the ground and swung full force at the informant. Izaya was just inside the light pole's reach, and Shizuo was already grinning in his victory, this would put the flea in his place. He could see the look of terror in the raven's red eyes as his fate was sealed.

But it wasn't.

Shizuo's hands suddenly stopped obeying him and he dropped the pole. I will not let you hurt him. It's all fun and games, but you cannot injure him! The Godling shouted, wracking Shizuo's head, giving him a splitting headache. Akikou released his control over their body and Shizuo fell to the ground on his knees, his hands flying to his head, trying to stop the screaming pain. It didn't last but a few more seconds, then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Shizuo opened his eyes to see Izaya kneeled down, looking at him worriedly, an odd look to see on the informant's face. Shizuo slapped the hand away, and picked the pole back up, smirking, Izaya seemed to piece together that that may have been a ploy to get his guard down, and he flew back, far out of the pole's reach, so Shizuo threw it, then reached for the closest vending machine.

"IIZZZAAAAYYYYYAAAAAAA!!!!" He cornered Izaya in a dead end alleyway, then threw the vending machine.

"Oh, but Shizu-chan, I'm bored!" Somehow the flea climbed up just high enough that the vending machine missed him and embedded itself in the wall. "Shizu-chan, you're getting messier and messier everyday, you really must be a monster after all!"

"I told you to stay out of Ikebukuro, you flea!" Shizuo lifted up a dumpster, preparing to throw it at the raven, only to notice his enemy had already parkoured up the building and was smirking down at him.

"Well, I hate to leave you now, Shizu-chan, but I have to meet a client in an hour, and I would hate to smell like I just ran a marathon, so I have to get cleaned up! Bye-bye now, Shizu-chan!" Izaya said.

"Get back here you flea!" Shizuo yelled. Shizuo launched a trashcan up over the edge of the building, feeling victorious as he heard it collide with its target.

Shizuo dropped to his knees once more as the pain returned to his head. I cannot believe you! You actually hurt him! I just told you not to and here you go, turning around and doing it!!! Why can't you just love him! That's it, that's the last straw! We're going up there to make sure he's okay! Akikou screamed, making the headache worse. Shizuo lost control to Akikou once more, and to his surprise, he too, was up the side of the building in a matter of seconds.

You sure know how to maneuver my body well. I would have crushed the wall in... Shizuo thought to Akikou.

Um... Heh... Yeah... All of my reincarnations have been born with the strength inhibitor in the brain unlocked, so I know the human body well... Akikou thought in reply. His mind had been focusing on the slight change in Izaya's pupils when he'd knelt down beside Shizuo earlier. They weren't completely round, nor completely like Yona's, just a little under halfway there, though. But as soon as Shizuo had begun attacking again, they'd fully reverted to a normal human's.

As they rounded up over the top, Akikou was disappointed to not see Izaya anywhere, and a small pool of blood on the concrete roof. See, you did hurt him. I hope he's okay... that looks like it's bleeding quite a bit. We're following him to his apartment. Akikou said internally.

Wait... how do you know where he lives? Shizuo asked.

...I don't... I'm following the blood trail... Akikou replied, arousing suspicion in Shizuo.

Shizuo followed Izaya, far enough behind that he wasn't noticed. The entire time, Akikou kept in complete control of Shizuo's body, not letting him have it back for a single second. They didn't speak either. Once they reached Izaya's apartment, Akikou smiled, then spoke internally to Shizuo. I think it's about time for me to talk to him... maybe it will help speed up his remembering our past lives... Shizuo... My body-link... take a nap for me... And Shizuo went to sleep, leaving Akikou in control of his body.

Shizuo entered the apartment via the bedroom window, and using a little of his Godling abilities, created a black rose and produced his hand written letter concealed in an envelope sealed with black wax in a star pattern, then lay it to rest on the nightstand beside the bed, leaving the window of the apartment open as he left. As he was returning home, he chuckled to himself, he'd lied so easily... it was like his old games with YonaKushu... He had known exactly where Izaya's apartment was, after all, he'd been using Shizuo's body while he slept to go and see Izaya, for the past fifty two nights.

He was trying to awaken his lover in Izaya's body, but was unable to reach YonaKushu's soul through the thick walls of the personality of his new reincarnation. It was amazing how Izaya had perfected his masks over time. Akikou knew everything that Izaya had ever been through, and exactly why he put up such masks and walls: Because deep, deep down, Izaya was so very broken. He had never really been 'whole' or 'okay' or 'innocent'. He'd had those things taken from him by 'V' at the very beginning. 'V' had discovered YonaKushu's reincarnation before Izaya had been born, and they'd made his life a living hell just so it would be harder for YonaKushu to awaken. After all, it was 'V's' job to keep Akikou and YonaKushu apart. What better way then to make the very vessel unwanted by everyone, make the vessel unfit for the soul of the Godling that was supposed to take it someday.

They obviously didn't know that 'Shizuo Hewajima' was to be Akikou's vessel, or they would have done the same thing. Although, Akikou still had trouble with Shizuo because when he'd first begun to awaken in Shizuo, he'd been dreaming of all the years of hatred he had toward YonaKushu, and that had affected Shizuo's reaction to Izaya, who was YonaKushu's vessel... oh what a mess they were in now...

Shizuo arrived home and went immediately to the shower, turning it all the way to the red. While letting it warm up, he stripped and waited in the shower as it heated up. When it was almost too hot for him, he turned it down just a bit, keeping it at that temperature. He let the scorching water run down his body, then got to work cleaning the dirt and grime off himself, still taking his time.

After the shower, Shizuo got undergarments on, and made a quick, small dinner of soup and a few slices of bread and butter. Then he ate, and sat on his couch, resting until shortly before he was due to meet Izaya. Luckily, Shizuo stayed asleep the entire time. Akikou didn't have to constantly suppress Shizuo, since the body was naturally more suited for him. The human soul that occupied the body until the Godling awakened would eventually go dormant, going to YonaKushu's father, Death's realm to be recycled, as all souls were, with the exception of YonaKushu and Akikou's, as they were reincarnated without splitting, as a special favor from Death. Akikou's own parents were Komana, the Earth Mother, and Deus X Machina, the God of Space and Time. Akikou could always use a small amount of both of his parent's abilities. YonaKushu's parents were Death, God of Death, and Erabus, God of Shadows, and YonaKushu could also use shadows and like both of his father's, had a weakness to Life Magick. As a God of Calamity, and a Khaos oriented God, Akikou shared that weakness as well, not to mention that that all four were weak to Light Magick, especially Erabus, and also more-so Akikou. It was now eleven forty-five, so Shizuo got up and dressed in the outfit he'd gotten specifically for when he wanted to actually try talking to Izaya and help his love awaken into his vessel. It was basically a black and red version of what his body-link usually wore, a black button up shirt, red vest and bowtie, and black pants. It was based on YonaKushu's favourite colours, in other words, his ever present ruby red eyes and black hair. Throughout every reincarnation they'd been through, Yona's body always had red eyes and black hair, and Akikou's always had blonde hair and honey-mocha eyes. The previous cycle, Akikou had been born as a girl, and this time, he wasn't even a natural blonde, so he bleached his hair, it was one thing he and Shizuo actually agreed on, what Shizuo didn't know, however, was that nowadays, their hair was actually blonde, and that's why they hadn't needed to bleach it in a year or so... By Akikou messing around with the genetic data of the vessel, he'd made it so the hair would just grow blonde, rather than dark brown.

Shizuo grabbed his keys and left out the door, locking it behind him. He never left it unlocked, because he never wanted a repeat to what had happened the last time he had, the last cycle. Yona was out grocery shopping, and Akikou left the door unlocked. Akikou went in the shower, but heard someone come in, and came out to find Yona's corpse and an assassin from 'V' took him out right after seeing it. He didn't even know what had become of their son, but he was looking into it. It was one of his goals to find his and Yona's son, so they could be a family again, even if they were in different vessels and about the same age as their son. Only off by a few months. After all, that was when Akikou had been female, and they actually had a son, Akikou had just been let out of the hospital with him. They named him, of course; Yuri; but Akikou was sure, if they didn't kill him, they would have at least changed his name and sent him to another world. Finding him would be difficult, but thanks to help from a certain old friend of his and Yona's, Akikou felt he was close. After all, with two Godling's as parents, he had one hell of a Magick structure, even though it wasn't fully God, since they had been in human vessels.

As Shizuo reached the part of Ikebukuro where the Midnight Cafe was, he began searching for his lover. Surely he will show, right? Shizuo searched through the crowd gathered at the soon to be open Cafe, then feeling the familiar soul behind him, he turned around to see Izaya standing in the street, just staring at him. He smiled at Izaya until he noticed his lover's bandaged right eye and he felt guilt and regret at his body-link's actions. Then, looking to Izaya's right hand, he saw the black rose, and he smiled again until out of the corner of his eye he saw a white truck speeding down the street toward Izaya. It wasn't stopping, but sped up, and Shizuo yelled out to Izaya, "Izaya! Look out!"

The truck hit him after he yelled Izaya's name and the truck kept going, ignoring that it had just hit someone. Shizuo ran out to the street, pulling the very broken Izaya into his lap, trying to rouse some kind of response out of him as he stroked Izaya's cheek. When he got nothing after calling Izaya's name several times, he yelled "YonaKushu! If you're in there, answer me!"

Izaya very slightly opened his eye, looking at Shizuo, then barely audible to Shizuo, whispered "A... ki... kou..." Then he was silent again as his eye closed once more. Shizuo scooped Izaya up bridal style, carrying him to the safest place he knew, Shinra's. The doctor may be able to do something without V finding out Izaya's condition, or that Akikou himself was awake and in control not Shizuo... Akikou tried to put on a mask of being Shizuo while he was dead sprinting toward the underground doctor's. It was hard for him to pretend he hated Izaya, even for a second, and he was struggling trying to come up with a story as to why Shizuo was even helping the flea he was well known for hating with his all.

By the time he arrived at Shinra's he had a decent story, but Izaya was barely breathing, and he'd lost a lot of blood, most of which was either soaked into Shizuo's clothes or in a puddle back by the Cafe, after all, Shizuo had been nothing but a blur to passerby's as he'd been using part of his father's abilities, bending space a little and using Travel Magick to get there as quickly as possible.

Shizuo kicked the door repeatedly, until Celty opened the door, her hand flying to what would be her mouth had she a head. Shinra walked up behind her, rubbing his eyes until he looked at the situation in front of him. He rushed Shizuo into his medical room, having him lay Izaya on the table while he got into more suitable clothes.

Shizuo explained that he'd been at the Midnight Cafe, waiting for someone who had sent him a weird letter when he saw Izaya get hit and no one other than him was allowed to kill his flea so he brought him here to see if Shinra could save his flea. Shizuo didn't even notice Shingen in the room by this point.

Shinra got to work fixing what he could, he told Shizuo he should probably leave the room because he was going to be removing Izaya's shirt and pants to work on more, but Shizuo was insistent on staying, even if it could betray who he was. Based on what Akikou could read from the Doctor's mind, Shinra just assumed it was because he wanted to see how much damage was done to his prey so he knew what it would take for him to drop Izaya the same way.

Shinra cut off Izaya's black shirt and jeans, revealing several obviously broken bones, and even more heavily bruised regions on the thin, very thin, Shizuo noted, body of his lover. Then Shizuo saw the stitched up parts of Izaya's arms, hips, and outer thighs, and Shinra noticed them as well.

"Dang it... He promised me months ago that he was going to stop self-harming! If he wasn't unconscious, I'd give him a piece of my mind..." Shinra spoke, venting to empty air.

"Wait, those cuts... he did them to himself?" Akikou couldn't help but show a slight hint of concern at this. I knew Izaya was traumatised, but I didn't know that he... Damnit! How did I miss something as bad as that?!?!

"Yes, despite the front he puts up, Izaya is very depressed, and more than likely bipolar. I have given him medications to help, but if he doesn't take them, which I assume he doesn't, this is what he does." Shinra said as Izaya twitched when he blotted a wad of alcohol-soaked cotton at a deep cut. Thanks to YonaKushu's fast healing, Izaya had already stopped bleeding, but that was about as far as YonaKushu could help Izaya without being properly awakened.

"Unfortunately, I don't have the supplies necessary to fix all of these broken bones, it looks like most of them will need surgical procedures to be put back into place, so we'll have to take him to an actual hospital. As soon as I stitch up these wounds, we'll take him, as this is the most I can do here..." Shinra said.

Shingen spoke up, "I suggest Celty take him, I volunteer to go as an escourt."

"Fine, Celty, dear, will you take Izaya to the actual hospital, and I guess my dad can go with you."

"No... If it's okay with you, Celty, I'd like to go with you instead. Since I am the one who found him, I should probably be there to tell the doctors what happened." Shizuo said.

"Fine, that's better anyway... I don't think Celty really wants to travel with you anyway, dad. Let Shizuo go."

"Alright, alright. Then I'm going back to bed." Shingen complained.

As soon as Shinra finished stitching the last wound, he signaled to Shizuo. "You'll have to carry him... but he's gonna need something to cover him... Here, I'll be right back..." After a few minutes Shinra came back with a sheet and he put it cautiously around Izaya, avoiding snagging it on any stitches. Izaya groaned a few times, but his voice sounded off, almost sounding to Akikou like YonaKushu's slight accent. He got excited, but quickly hid it. Jostling all his broken bones must have been painful...

Shizuo, gently as possible, lifted and carried Izaya back outside to where Celty had Shooter waiting, the mystical horse transformed into a carriage, Celty taking the reins as Shizuo climbed into the passenger area with Izaya in his arms. He accidently bumped Izaya's leg against the door when he closed it, and this time, Shizuo confirmed he had heard YonaKushu's accent, not Izaya's normal voice, when he gave a small yelp of pain.

As soon as he had the door closed and he was alone with Izaya once again, he whispered, "YonaKushu... I know you're somewhat awake... Stay strong, we're on our way to the hospital now to get you fixed up, alright, love?" He let his emotions get control for just a second as he stroked Izaya's sweat covered forehead, and kissed him there too, giving him a big sum of energy and his own lifeforce through the kiss. He knew YonaKushu would repay him when he awoke, he always did. They traded LifeForce a lot, since they got injured a lot together. He knew better than to trade the vessel's LifeForce, though, so he used his own, his Godling lifeforce. A humans was so limited and fleeting, it wouldn't do much to help a Godling.

After a good twenty minutes, the carriage stopped and Celty came to help Shizuo by opening the door, and together, they took Izaya into the hospital.

From there, the doctors quickly took over and Shizuo was separated from Izaya. The doctors took hours to even give the slightest status update. It was late afternoon the next day when they finished the surgery, fixing all the bones as best they could, and casting them. Shizuo jumped up as soon as he saw a doctor walking toward him. Celty had already gone home, at Shizuo's insistence. He honestly didn't want anyone there so he could actually talk to YonaKushu privately and work on awakening him into his vessel. It would be easier without Shinra or Celty there.

"How is he? Is he going to be alright?" Shizuo blurted out when he saw the doctor's regretful face, he felt his heart drop... Surely he didn't die, right?

"Who are you to the young man?" The doctor asked.

"Boyfriend..." Shizuo replied.

The doctor nodded then continued, "He is... alive... but after trauma like that, he has gone into a self-induced coma, and we're not sure when he'll awaken... Also... He... We had to remove the right eye. It was far too damaged for us to salvage, it would have caused him a great deal of unnecessary pain to keep it. Luckily, it appears that your... Boyfriend... Has some pretty rapid healing. Even throughout the surgery, his bruising began healing up, although only very slightly around the edges. It may not take him long to heal from his wounds, but as for how long his body will stay in this coma, we cannot say for sure... He's in room two-sixty, you are free to go see him whenever. If you wish, I can have the assigned nurse set up a spare bed in the room so you can sleep." The doctor stepped out of the way and in a hurry, Shizuo went to the indicated room number, throwing open the door and seeing Izaya hooked to several machines, IV's, blood, breathing machines and so many more he had no clue of. Shizuo pressed the nurse call button and soon a nurse was in the room.

"The doctor said you could set up a spare bed? Can you do that?" Shizuo asked in a rush. The faster he acted while YonaKushu was still up front, not Izaya, the better.

"Yes. I'll get it done. Would you like some different clothes? You must be the one who brought him in. You're covered in blood, hun." The black haired nurse said. She looked familiar, and not because he'd been in this hospital a million times with Shizuo. She looked familiar to him, Akikou...

"Yeah... Wait, Ma'am... What's your name? I don't think I've seen you here before, but you do look familiar." Shizuo asked curiously.

"Well, Kou, that's because I should. It's me, Syrena. I'm in charge of helping get you and YonaKushu back together for the moment, as Hyaria's mission, along with Lucan, but he's working separately, by finding and distracting V for you two, since he has a past with them targeting him as well. The doctor who did the surgery was Stein Katsura, as well as Tao Kane. So, he was in good hands.

Now, if you want that bed, I had better go and get it. Also, here are some clothes, they're Lucan's so they should fit. Oh, and call me Sylena. That's what I'm know as here. Oh yes, and, M is still working on finding your son, but he's tracked down the plane he's on, as he is alive. We're hoping one of M's... um... Splits... can help us find him, as he's in a rather large city... But my cautious son wouldn't tell me which in case we were being listened to. Alright, I have delivered my message, so I'm going to get that bed. You go get in that shower and change, M'kay, Shizuo. Don't worry, the room has been sealed. No one can get in who either you or I do not want in. M said he'd stop in later to talk to you when you're both awake. Ah! Almost forgot one last thing, I'll be giving Izaya healing treatments whenever I am here, so he'll recover just fine, I just have to make sure it's only in little bits so it doesn't look suspicious. Okay. Bye, hun."

Damn, I'm relieved it's people I can trust taking care of my little Izaya. And someone he knew could handle herself in a fight if it came to one. This was the same little girl, who seven thousand years ago, and seven years old back then, had told Akikou's aunts Io and Kina that she wanted control over her own soul. The self same girl who, somehow was still alive after seven thousand years when she probably shouldn't be, Akikou just figured Death hadn't taken her as a favor to M.

Akikou was honestly even more relieved to know it was Lucan who was hunting those bastards in V, and keeping them from getting to them. Akikou knew for damn sure that boy could handle himself. He had literally challenged a God before and held his own well, ironically, it had been Yona's father, Erabus, and not to mention Lucan had single-handedly destroyed an entire realm to the point not even Akikou could survive in it, and he is the God of Calamity. Akikou took a deep breath, then went and showered, changing into the clothes Syrena had given him, and by the time he was done, the spare bed was done and made, and he immediately crashed into it, after not having slept for so long. However, he did not intend to actually sleep, but begin trying to awaken YonaKushu into his body once and for all...